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Ten On Ten – Cumberland Boys/Quartet

As long as requests keep rolling in, I will continue new ten on ten features. This week I will highlight the recording career of the Cumberland Boys/Quartet. The Cumberland Boys started as the Opryland Gospel Quartet and released their first album as the Opryland Gospel Quartet in 1981.

The group changed their name circa 1982 to the Cumberland Boys and remained the resident singing group at Opryland USA in Nashville TN until the park’s closing in the 1990’s. In 2000, the group made one more name change to the Cumberland Quartet.

The ten best albums by the Cumberland Boys/Quartet are as follows:

New Ship Sailing (2000)

Worth Every Mile (2002)

New Horizons (1993)

A Matter Of The Heart (1989)

Presenting Opryland’s Gospel Quartet (1982)

The Opryland Gospel Quartet In Concert (1981)

Nothing But Love (1995)

I Owe It All To Jesus (1984)

Opryland’s Gospel Quartet (1983)

Canada Live (1997)

The pinnacle in the Cumberland Boys/Quartet discography came when the group changed their name to the Cumberland Quartet. The 2000 album, New Ship Sailing, ranks #1 among the group’s best albums.

This album is one of the best albums released in Southern Gospel music in the year 2000. This is another album that every Southern Gospel collector should own. Highlights include “Because He Stayed”, “Go Tell The People”, “The Gospel”, “I Wanna Feel Like I Felt”, “New Ship Sailing” and “Waiting On The Water”.

The Cumberland Quartet configuration also has the #2 album in the group’s discography; the 2002 recording Worth Every Mile. This album gave the Southern Gospel audience their first listen to bass singer Ian Owens (who would go on to the Imperials, Signature Sound Qt and Soul’d Out Qt).

“For Your Love Alone”, “I Am Because He Is”, “It’ll Be Worth Every Mile Of The Trip”, “Labor Of Love”, “Mine For The Asking”, “My Treasure, My Crown” and “Stranger Things Have Happened” all exemplify the best of Worth Every Mile.

The remaining eight albums in the top ten were all released as the Cumberland Boys. The top Cumberland Boys recording is the 1993 album New Horizons (ranked 3rd). It is no surprise during this time period, the group carried a country sound with their Southern Gospel considering they were the resident group at Opryland USA.

The group’s first four albums all made the top ten. All four albums were released by Opryland USA and were released between the years 1981 and 1984.

The highest ranked of those (at #5) is the 1982 album, Presenting Opryland’s Gospel Quartet. Tenor Depp Britt and bass singer Steve Goforth were original members of the group. Depp Britt would be the only member to remain with the group for the entirety of the group’s career.

The most noted vocal line-up of the group’s career was that of Britt (tenor), brother Bill Britt (lead), Jim Worthing (baritone) and Steve Goforth (bass). This vocal line-up remained together for ten years between the years of 1988 and 1997.

To my knowledge, the Cumberland Boys/Quartet are the only Southern Gospel artist to record an entire live album in Canada. The 1997, Canada Live, album ranks #10 among the group’s ten best.

In addition to the songs already mentioned, the Cumberland Boys/Quartet introduced the following songs to the Southern Gospel listening audience: “A Matter Of The Heart”, “I Call Him Friend”, “I Cast My Bread Upon The Water”, “I’ll Keep On Leaning”, “I’m Gonna Walk Right Through It”, “That’s Pretty Amazing” and “Today I Might Be Going Home”.

A friend of a friend had 2 records back in the 80’s I copied them to cassette and now they are wore out I didn’t write the name of the albums but I would really like to find the music any ideas? The one is about “I don’t need this house no longer I am getting ready to meet the saints”

I know Cumberland Boys from the times with John Brack in Switzerland. I never forget the concerts in our Swiss churches. Did’nt miss one. Still today I hear Depp Britt sing “in the darkest night” at the church in Wetzikon. It gives me goosebumps. And I love Bill Britt. I was at every concert in Weggis, that he gave on easter. . Please please, Cumberlands, come back to Switzerland!!!!!!!!!!!! I miss you and These wonderful days. Your fan forever Iris

Sorry for the mistake. Bill’s concerts where in Meggen, not in Weggis. I was always Standing in first row and once I taped the whole concert. So I have it on DVD and can watch it whenever I want. There is no Christmas for me without CD’s of the Cumberland Boys and John Brack !!!!!!!!!!! Regards from Switzerland. Iris

When we went to Tennessee one year we went to the park in Nashville and saw them sing live. They were amazing and I loved hearing the blonde fellah sing His Eye is on the Sparrow. Afterward we bought their cassette but unfortunately I don’t have a cassette player to play it on. The cassette also didn’t have the sparrow on it but does have 20 Golden Gospel Favorites.

When we drove down to Tennessee quite some time back we visited the park in Nashville and they were to perform there so we sat and listened to them. They were fantastic. I enjoyed their singing of His eye is on the sparrow. After the show was over we bought the cassette of theirs as a souvenir in 20 Golden gospel hits but unfortunately I don’t have a cassette player to play it. I have played it in the past but the sparrow one isn’t one of them. I have never forgotten them.